Brake-beam.



No. 846,819. PAIENTED MAR. 12,- 1907'.

- J. B. BARNES.

BRAKE BEAM. APPLICATION Hun 001215. 1906.

WIINE SQYL 1):: ncmus PETERS co, wAsnmamn, o c.

NITE STATES JOSHUA B. BARNES, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

BRAKE-BEAM.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed October 18. 1906. Serial No. 339,528.

To a who), [it may cu/wern:

Be it known that I, J OSHUA B. BARNES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Brake-Beams for Railroad-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in that part of the air-brake gear of a railroadcar known as the brake-beam or bar, in connection with the brake-lever, and having the brake-heads attached thereto, and has for its object to provide a light and strong brake-beam of simple inexpensive construction and particularly adapted for resisting strain in emergency cases.

The invention consists in features of novelty, as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, whereon Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved brake-beam, showing the brake-heads attached thereto; Fig. 2, a' cross-section, to enlarged scale, through the compression and tension members of the brake-beam on line 2 2 in Fig. 1, showing the combined king-post and brake-lever fulcrum (hereinafter termed brake-lever fulcrum) in corresponding elevation; Figs. 3 and 4, vertical cross-sections thereof on lines 3 3 and 4 4, respectively, in Fig. 2 Fig. 5, an end view, to enlarged scale, of the brake-beam and corresponding brake-head connected thereto according to my improvement; Fig. 6, a horizontal section through the same on lines 6 6 in Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 a rear view of the brakehead detached from the beam.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

(t represents my improved brake-beam, which is of the trussed order, comprising a compression member which consists, preferably, of a rolled I-shaped iron bar I), having its web 1 vertically arranged, and a ten sion member or rolled circular-shaped iron bar 0, which is fixed at its end portions, together with the brake-heads d, to the corresponding portions of the compression-bar b and held apart from the bar I) in the middle of the beam at to form a truss therefor by the brake-lever fulcrum e, as hereinafter more particularly described. The compressionbar 1), tension-bar c, and brake-heads d are interlocked and firmly secured together near each end of the brake-beam, preferably by an eyebolt f, having its eye or opening on the inside of the compression member I) and its shank 2 projecting through the web 1 of the said member, against which it is clenched by a nut 3. Each brake-head d is formed on its rear side with a projecting bracket 4, which is suitably shaped and adapted to fit closelybetween the top and bottom inside flanges 5 5 and against the web 1, respectively, of the compression bar 19. T he bracket 4 is preferably hollow or box-shaped in cross-section and formed with an opening through its outer wall 6 opposite to the rear side of the brake-head d for receiving the eye-ring of the bolt f, which fits closely therein between the side walls 6 of the bracket 4, the side walls 6 having circular openings therethrough registering with the opening of the eyebolt f and corresponding diametrically to the preferably straight end. portion thereat of the tension-bar c, which passes through the said openings to a suitable distance beyond the end ofthe compression-bar b and the (iorrespondingsurface of the brake-head d, from which projects an upright lug 7, the projecting part of the ten sion-bar 0 being screw-threaded and provided with a nut 8, having a projection 8 on its inner face, which is adapted to engage in a correspondingly shaped groove 9, formed in the outside face of a preferably rectangularshaped washer-plate g, placed on the tension-bar 0 between the nut 8 and the end of the compression-b ar 1), whereby when the arts are assembled and the washer-plate g forced by the nut 8 against the end of the compression-b ar 7) with its inner upright edge engaged by the lug 7 on the brake-head d the tension-bar c is tightened until the projection 8 on the nut 8 is finally forced into engagement with the groove 9 in the washerplate g, when the compression-bar b, tensionbar a, and brake-head d will be interlocked and firmly held together in place. Further more, for relieving the strain at its junction with the com ression and tension bars I) and 0 each brakeead d is preferably formed on its rear side at the top with an overhanging arm or bracket 10, which is adapted to bear constantly against the top side of the compression-bar b, as seen particularly in Fig. 5.

The brake-lever fulcrum e, which is of the usual form, is in the present case made in two parts, the body or perforated bifurcated art 11 for the pivot -pin of the brake -lever eingpreferably of wrought-iron fixed at its base to the web 1 of the compression-bar Z) by a bolt 12, and the end or bearing art 13 for the tension-bar c, of cast-iron, aving recesses 13" for receiving the end portions of the body 11, which are secured to the end part 13 by a rivet 14. On the tensionbar 0 adjacent to each brake-head d is fixed a wrought-iron clam h by a bolt 15, to which is coupled the en of the hanger chain. (Not shown.)

By the above construction of brake-beam the brake-heads are rigidly held in their proper relative position to the compression member at all times and the several parts of the brake-beam thereat securely interlocked. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a brake-beam for a railroad-car, the combination of a compression member, an

eyebolt fixed to the said member adjacent to each end thereof, a brake-head having a bracket adapted to bear against the said member, and having an opening transversely therethrough for registering with the opening of the said bolt, a tension member having screw-threadedend portions adapted respectively to pass through the said openings, a

nut on the said portion, a washer between the nut and the end of the compression member, a brake-lever fulcrum intermediate to the said'members at their middle portions,

and means for fixing the said fulcrum to the compression member, substantially as described.

2. In a brake-beam for a railroad-car, the combination of an I-shaped compression member, an 'eyebolt fixed to the said member adjacent to each end thereof, a brakehead having a bracket adapted to fit between the flanges and web of the said member, and having an overhanging arm adapted to bear against the top of the said member, the said bracket having an opening transversely therethrough for registering with the opening of thesaid bolt, a lug on the brake head adjacent to the said bracket, a circularshaped tension member having screw-threaded end portions adapted respectively to pass through the said openings, a nut on the said portion having a projection, a washer interposed between the nut and the end of the compression member and adapted to engage the said lug, the said washer having a groove adapted to be engaged by the said projection, a brake-lever fulcrum intermediate to the said members at their middle portions, and means for fixing the said fulcrum to the compression member, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSHUA B. BARNES.

Witnesses:

A. B. M RS, OTHO A. GILLIN. 

